TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The navy of Iran's Army said on Saturday that two "violating" oil tankers caught fire earlier in the day after hitting naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessels, which had turned off their navigation, identification and tracking systems, were transiting the "unsafe and forbidden" region east of the strait in disregard of the warnings, the navy said in statements on the army's website.
One of the vessels was brought to a halt following the blast, it said, warning that suffering explosions and catching fire is the fate awaiting those "violating" vessels seeking passage through the "forbidden" regions in the waterway.
Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
On Friday night, the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps also reported two "violating" oil tankers exploded and caught fire earlier in the day after hitting naval mines while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through an "unauthorized" route. ■
